


Gilded

by Akasanata



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Age Difference, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Mythology, Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/F, M/M, Maybe - Freeform, Mentions of Slavery, South American Mythology, charles has been 18 for a couple of centuries, erik and charles don't meet until chapter four, erik is in his late twenties, only Raven has powers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-10
Updated: 2018-06-24
Packaged: 2019-05-04 22:20:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14602935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akasanata/pseuds/Akasanata
Summary: Erik Lehnsherr wants to prove that his parents weren't crazy when they claimed that the legendary golden city of El Dorado existed, and that they didn't die in vain looking for it.Unexpected obstacles in the form of magical curses, and the old rival of his parents, Sebastian Shaw, stand in his way, but Erik Lehnsherr is nothing but determined. What he isn't ready for, is to find love along the way.





	1. Prologue: The Legend

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is an omegaverse Cherik fic based on the Muisca indigenous legend that gave birth to the tradition behind the legend of El Dorado. It has no relation to the Disney movie, sorry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On the names and other vocabulary:
> 
> Chuhuca = Charles, means mouse.
> 
> Sue = Raven, means bird
> 
> Zehue = Charles and Raven’s father, means master
> 
> Zina = the elder of the village, means worm
> 
> Cacique = chief of the tribe
> 
> paba = father, I’m using it here to signal the alpha parent
> 
> uaia = mother, I’m using it to signal the omega parent
> 
> Cusmuy = big round hut
> 
> Cheque or chyquy = shaman
> 
> chutagui = cockroach
> 
> comba = little spotted cat or tigrillo
> 
> Also, the Muiscas didn’t have a writing system, so this is how the Spanish colonizers transcribed their language, which means that the ‘h’ is soundless and it’s used basically to separate syllables.
> 
> A spoilery warning at the end of the notes.

Once upon a time, high in the depths of a mountain range, there lived a wise man who was the cacique, the chief, of his tribe. The cacique, who was known as Zehue, had a very intelligent and beautiful omega son, Chuhuca, known among friends as Charles, who had just come into age, and an alpha daughter, Sue, who had chosen to be called Raven and was only 13 years old. The cacique had recently lost his omega partner and he could feel how the grieving was taking him to the grave as well.

According to the laws, the alpha who married Charles would become the next cacique upon Zehue’s death, and so, Zehue decided that it was time to choose an espouse for Charles, someone worthy of governing their tribe.

Thus, one day the cacique sent for his son and in this way he spoke to him:

“Charles, my son, I know things have been difficult ever since your dear uaia’s passing, but I’m afraid I must put even more responsibility upon your shoulders. My health has been deteriorating drastically and soon I’ll leave you and your sister alone. However, we must think first and foremost of the tribe’s future.” At this point, the cacique sighed and looked directly at Charles’ eyes, as he knew his son would not like what was to come. His fears were confirmed when Charles turned away and talked rashly.

“You mean you are going to marry me. Sell me to the highest bidder.” 

This had been a subject in which they had always clashed, ever since Charles had been old enough to understand his role in the tribe. The cacique’s omega, Charles’ uaia, had always said it had been Zehue’s fault, for letting Charles too much time alone exploring the surrounding mountains.

“Charles, I’m not your enemy. I’ll try to respect your wishes as long as is someone appropriate to govern.”

“I know, paba, I’m sorry.” was Charles' soft reply. “I’m just not ready to get married yet.”

“Nevertheless, we must do this before I die, my son. You know we cannot wait, or it’ll be worse for you. I’ll announce to the council tomorrow that you’ll be married in a week. Choose wisely, Charles, don’t let yourself be tempted by sweet words or looks. If by then you do not have a suitor that I approve of, I’ll choose it for you. Understand?”

“Yes, paba, I’ll do my best.”

After the conversation, the young Charles went to a lagoon nearby, where the beauty of the place would always soothe him and empty his mind, as he didn’t want to think on his oncoming nuptials. However, when he went back to the village, he was received by terrible news.

“Charles, Charles! Where were you!! Charles! Paba has just …” it was Raven, his little sister, and the person he loved the most. She was sobbing so hard, she could barely speak.

While Charles was in the lagoon, tragedy had struck the village. That night, just as the cacique Zehue was going to sleep, he had collapsed and died instantly.

The next day was a blur of embalming the body and getting it ready, building the funerary cave and thousands other preparations. Zehue had been a good cacique and was being mourned by all the village, so his death was honored with food and music for the whole week.

All the same, by the end of the week, the people were already uneasy, whispering and conjecturing on who would be the next cacique. As Zehue had died without naming his successor, all the alphas who were of age would have to go through different trials to decide who was worthy of marrying the beautiful Charles and carrying the title of cacique. The trials were to be determined by the elder and religious leader, Zina, who disagreed in everything with Charles, including Charles’ choice of changing his name.

On the eighth day after Zehue's death, Zina the elder gathered everyone on the village’s plaza and announced the need to choose a new cacique. 

“The first trial will begin tonight after the sun sets, and there will be as many trials as necessary until there’s only one participant left standing.” Said Zina. “The winner will be wed to Chuhuca and crowned as next cacique. Chuhuca, in the meantime will be constricted to the sacred temple, the cusmuy, and only the holy cheques will be allowed in his presence.”

Charles was forced to wait in worry for three nights and three days without news of the outside world. Finally, when the third day was coming to an end, Charles was announced that he was to marry Chutagui. Chutagui was a man much older than Charles who mostly kept to himself. He certainly wasn’t an ideal cacique, but Zina the elder had deemed him worthy, and Zina's word was the gods' word.

And so, Charles and Chutagui were married and a new era began under the rule of Chutagui. Soon, it was apparent that Chutagui wouldn’t accept anybody’s advice and that he cared only for himself. Chutagui spent his days drunk and partying, without caring about the affairs of the tribe.

Charles, seeing how the people’s wellbeing began to decrease, decided to secretly take the charge. He tried to meet with influential people of the tribe every night to try solving the problems of the village, but nobody was interested, as the parties offered by the cacique were much more entertaining. As it happens, the only one who listened to Charles was Comba, a strong alpha who was one of the warriors. Comba and Charles soon became good friends, and one night after discussing strategies to save the village, they confessed their feelings for each other and consummated their love. 

However, unknown to both of them, Zina the elder had seen them together, and immediately told Chutagui what was happening. That night, while Charles slept placidly, Comba was apprehended and forced to confess her crimes.

Next day, Chutagui announced a special banquet in honor of Charles. Without knowing he had been discovered, Charles assumed his husband wanted to apologise for his behaviour so far, and suspected nothing. 

The day was spent on preparations and when the night came, musicians and story tellers began to entertain while everyone ate to their heart’s content. Just when Charles thought it was time to retire, the cacique asked for silence and gave a short speech:

“This night I have ordered a very special dish to be prepared for my dear mate, Chuhuca, so that he remembers from now and forever that his place at my side is the best he could ever hope for.”

As soon as he finished, the cooks brought a small dish of meat and vegetables, coated with some fruity sauce and accompanied by a corn cake.

In the meanwhile, Raven had spent the night running and playing throughout all the village, and eating as many sweet treats as possible. Looking for more, she snuck into the hut were food was being prepared and was so focused on stealing the passion fruit tarts that she didn’t notice a couple of cooks nearby whispering, until she heard her brother being mentioned. Curious child that she was, she approached stealthily and listened to their conversation.

That same instant, Charles was being presented with the special dish. He was curious as to why it was a dish only for him, but he supposed it must have been prepared with some exotic spices never seen before in this land.

“Go ahead, Chuhucu, eat without restraint.” Said Chutagui so cheerfully, that Charles, for the first time in the night felt a little apprehensive, as he had never seen such glee on Chutagui's eyes.

Nevertheless, Charles turned to his dish and started eating. First, he tried the corn cake, one of his favorite foods. It was flawlessly done and without doubt, the best he had ever tried. Then, he ate some of the vegetables. The cassava was tender and perfect, and complimented the artichoke seamlessly. Finally, he turned to the meat. He had thought at first it was rabbit, but under the sauce, he could see it was much darker and greyish. Curious, he lifted it to his mouth and took a bit. It was sweeter than venison, although with a similar texture.

“What is this strange meat, husband? Is not venison, is it?” Charles asked Chutagui. But Chutagui only smiled while denying with his head and indicated for Charles to keep eating.

Charles took another bit. It was very lean, like a muscle often worked, but prepared in such a manner that the result was very soft. 

“Is this capybara?” asked Charles again, even though he had never seen capybara meat with this strange color. One more time, Chutagui only smiled and shook his head.

Charles was about to take his third bite, when a very loud and high-pitched scream stopped him. It was Raven, who was running towards him and crying.

“Stop, Charles! Don’t eat it!” she was saying.

The cacique immediately ordered the warriors to stop her, but Raven, used to run and sneak where she wasn’t allowed, was very agile and soon was beside Charles.

“It is Comba!!! It is Comba!!!” she kept saying, but Charles didn’t understand why was Comba mentioned.

“He’s a monster.” She continued, pointing at Chutagui. “He killed her and took her heart!! It’s her heart, Charles!”

A quick glance at Chutagui's furious and almost beast like expression was all the confirmation Charles needed. Worse, Charles realized by the ashamed expressions on the people surrounding him, everybody knew it. They had always known and they had done nothing to stop Chutagui .

Appalled, without thinking twice, he grabbed Raven and ran to the forest before anyone could even react. He had spent almost all his life in the forest, he knew the invisible paths. 

Soon, they reached Charles favorite place: the lagoon. Letting go of Raven, the horror of what had happened began to set. Comba, the only person who had looked beyond his rank, his friend, his comrade, his lover. She was dead. She was dead and her body had been desecrated. And it had been Charles the one to…

He hadn’t realised he was puking until he registered the sounds that were coming from him. 

But before young Charles could keep thinking on his tragedy, voices began to be heard from the forest: they were looking for them, but Charles was determined not to go back to that accursed place. With a quick prayer asking for help to the gods, Charles took Raven in his arms and walked into the lagoon, letting it sink them into its depths.

The cacique, finally coming to his senses and realizing the atrocity he had committed, ordered the people to continue looking, intending to ask for forgiveness, but Charles and Raven were nowhere to be seen. The search continued nevertheless, until one day, one of the warriors searching the nearby lagoon fell into it and nearly drowned. However, when the warrior woke up, he reported having found Charles and Raven. Charles had made a pact with the goddess of the lagoon, and now the two siblings resided in its depths.

Chutagui, ashamed and fearing the retribution of the goddess, poured all the gold in his possession while asking for forgiveness. From that point on, he became one of the gentlest and wisest of men, determined to right the wrongs he had done.

Seeing himself as unworthy of the title, he named a new cacique and spent his days helping whoever needed it. The day she was crowned, the new cacique, wanting to keep the peace, also offered all her gold to the lagoon.

Ever since that day, each new cacique, before coming to power, would offer gold and jewels to the lagoon goddess and the two siblings, begging for their mercy and forgiveness.

With time however, the story of Charles was forgotten, even as the ritual continued for many more generations. And when a culture from across the wide ocean arrived, all they heard was that there was a place being filled with gold for years and years, and these foreigners, above all, desired gold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Charles is forced to commit cannibalism without him realizing.  
> Next chapter we will meet Erik! Don't hesitate to ask questions, leave con-crit or point out any mistake! Thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 1: The Beginning of the Quest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glossary  
> Chunso: idol made of gold  
> Zipa: ruler of the southern territory of the Muiscas. The ruler of the northern territory was called Zaque.

_1620 A.D._

_Cartagena de Indias, New Kingdom of Granada_

“Many have gone looking for it, but either they gave up, coming back with their hands empty, or they were never seen again.” Said the woman dismissively. “You will be the same. I won’t risk my neck looking for fantasies.”

Had this been someone else, he would have turned around immediately. Hearing people repeat that he was chasing the impossible was tiring, after all, but he needed a good guide and he had been told that this woman, Moira, was the best, so he bit his tongue and tamed his temper.

“I’ll pay you the triple than your usual.” He replied after a bit. The words came out tersely and with a hint of violence, almost like a growl.

Moira, however was obviously not impressed.

“I hope that money is more real than your golden city” she replied lifting an eyebrow.

Erik didn’t want to accept it, but he was impressed. Most betas would obey or try to avoid trouble, and even alphas cowered before Erik, but Moira was confronting him as she was a stronger alpha than Erik, instead of an almost petite beta.

Erik grudgingly threw a bag of gold in the table. The woman’s eyes lit up. Even if she didn’t believe in the existence of El Dorado, she was clearly interested in the money in front of her. Yet, she still shook her head and pushed the bag back towards Erik.

“Also, if we find it, 5% of it is just for you. Imagine that. Even if the legends are exaggerating, that should be enough for you to live without worries for the rest of your life.”

“Look, Mister…”

“Lehnsherr” Erik answered the implicit question.

“Mister Lehnsherr. These mountains are treacherous and full of unknown dangers. We can’t just traipse around, hoping we will just stumble into a hidden city nobody has seen. What makes you even think it is in this area? Most of the rumors point further south, in the Peruvian region, but the truth, if such city exists and there is still gold in it, then it could be anywhere from Riohacha in the north of the Nuevo Reino de Granada, to La Patagonia in the southernmost part of the continent. Why are you searching here first, anyway?”

“Look, I have my reasons. We wouldn’t be going completely blind, but I need someone who knows the zone very well and is knowledgeable on the locals. That means you. Just give me three days. If by the third day I haven’t convinced you, we come back, and I pay you the equivalent of 18 days for your service.”

“Fine. But I want half of it upfront,” demanded Moira. “and anyway, where are we going to begin, Mr. ‘I have my reasons’? I hope you don’t expect us to walk all of the longest mountain range on Earth?”

Erik hesitated, but they were in a private room at the tavern, so there was no risk of anyone else seeing it. He reluctantly took out an old, yellowish cloth and taking care of touching it as least as possible, he placed it in the table, facing Moira.

In it, there was a blurry drawing of what seemed to be several people in a raft, performing a ritual. The cloth it was drawn in was obviously old and the lines were already starting to fade.

“A raft,” said Moira. “And those are probably people with ceremonial headpieces. In the center, maybe a chunso, an idol made of gold?”

So, it was true that she was good. Perhaps this wouldn’t be as hard as their first conversation suggested.

“Can you tell me which culture this belongs to?” Erik asked her, even though he already knew the answer.

“Heavily adorned, probably with gold, they’re carrying… arms? no, that wouldn’t make sense. Maybe instruments, because they’re making a ceremony. The ears look too prominent, so probably those are earrings. The raft is woven and clearly made for calm waters, so we can discard the ocean. It is a wild guess, but I would say Muiscas or Quimbayas.” Moira lifted her gaze and looked at Erik directly to the eyes. “What is the relationship of this with El Dorado?”

“It is not a chunso, but a throne, where the cacique is sitting,” corrected Erik, ignoring her question, “and it comes from a Muisca tribe.”

Moira simply kept staring at Erik, waiting for more information. Erik couldn’t help to accept that he didn’t dislike her anymore.

“As you said, the raft was made for calm waters, a lake. Why would the cacique be all adorned with golden jewels to go to the middle of the lake?”

“For Muiscas, water means purification, so this is probably a ritual to cleanse the cacique’s soul”

“Indeed, and to do that they would have to submerge themselves in water, wouldn’t they?” Moira nodded. “And if the cacique is all adorned with gold, what do you think would happen with all the jewelry?”

Erik could see the moment it clicked. Her eyes went comically wide and she opened and closed her mouth several times before finally speaking.

“Are you telling me that El Dorado is actually in the bottom of a lake?!”

Erik grinned and assented. He definitely liked this beta.

“And not a city but a pile of gold!” continued Moira, gobsmacked.

“So, we know which culture it belonged to and we know the tribe was near a lake. Are you up to finding El Dorado with me?”

“That’s not even a question, Lehnsherr. Pack your things and get rest, we part tomorrow morning. Let’s go first to the capital, Santafe de Bogota, we will start from there.”

The trip from Cartagena to Santafe was tedious and hard, but it gave them enough time to mark the lakes that appeared on their map and plan a route to investigate them.

Once they finally arrived to Santafe, Moira took him to speak with one of the indigenous leaders that lived there. Santafe was a big town, and though it wasn’t the cleanest, it was very pretty and well planned. That’s why Erik was so surprised as gradually the landscape around them became more and more dilapidated. That a tribe leader of the most prominent indigenous cultures in the zone lived in such place was difficult to believe for Erik.

When they stopped to buy a basket of fruits as present for their host, Moira pulled Erik apart.

“Remember what we talked about. Let me do the talking, they somewhat know me, while for them you are only another whitie who’s probably only looking for their riches, which is the truth, but they can’t know it.” she said in a hushed tone.

As they kept walking, everyone around them would stop whatever they were doing and blatantly stare at Erik. The uneasiness Erik felt grew as they stopped in front of a large shack, where several people were sitting outside. Moira spoke quickly with one of them and they were allowed to enter.

Inside it was dim and wide, without any furniture. On the opposite wall, there was a group of people, sitting on the floor, discussing in Muysccubunn. After a few minutes, the fell silent and the man in the center signaled them to come near.

“Moira,” he said. “It’s been a while. I hope your studies are going well?”

“Yes, they’re progressing. In fact, I’m here because of them, as you must have suspected,” she cleared her throat before continuing. “Here, we brought these for your enjoyment.”

She passed him the fruits and waited while the leader ate a fig. In the meanwhile, Erik was seated a step behind Moira, trying to project the least threatening aura he could muster, which wasn’t easy, as he had had to do the contrary most of his life to survive, ever since Shaw had taken him as a ward.

“Well, what is it you needed help with?”

Moira looked at Erik, and Erik passed her the piece of clothing. It was all he had left of his parents and this was the first time someone other than Erik touched it, but it was necessary for finding El Dorado and cleaning his parents’ names once and for all.

After a few minutes of staring at the drawing, the leader finally spoke.

“This is definitely Zipa territory, which means you are in the right zone,” he turned to look at Moira and Erik, and in his gaze was an unexpected gravitas. “I once heard of a legend, of a serpent goddess who would go out and devour people if they did not offer their allegiance to her. If you are looking for the place this figure came from, I recommend you to thread carefully. The threats of our gods aren’t to be taken lightly, for their curses can endure an eternity.”

“Do you know where that place is?” Erik couldn’t help himself and asked.

The leader smiled at him.

“If you are so willing to get eaten, then I’ll help you, mister. Wherever the place was, there must have been an important temple near.”

After that, the leader returned the cloth and Moira and Erik were showed out.

“Well, that was easier than expected,” commented Erik when they were back at the inn.

“I don’t know. We should be careful. There must be a reason no one has ever found it, and…” she hesitated, “I’ve seen things, that, you may think me crazy, but, I’ve seen magic. Or at least, things that can’t be explained by science.”

“Just because we don’t know it, it doesn’t mean it does not have an explanation."

Erik looked at the map.

The map showed the territory the Muiscas had controlled before the Spanish conquest. To the north, the Zaque's territory, to the north-west the independent territory, and finally to the south, the Zipa's. It also showed the location of the main temples with asterisks, and in the Zipa's territory there were only three.

"Come on, we only have to check three places. In a week we could be the richest people in this town, this isn’t a time to hesitate.” 

Just before they went to rest, Erik finally asked the question that had been bugging him for a while.

“Moira, if he was one of the leaders, why does he live in such a rundown place?”

“They’re the lucky ones,” was Moira’s answer, “at least they’re free. Most indigenous people are slaves. They work as house slaves, farming, and such. The African slaves have the most demanding works like mining.”

That was what Erik had in his mind before falling asleep, but nevertheless, he still dreamt of his parents. This time, they were Shaw’s prisoners and Erik had to tell him where El Dorado was or they would be killed, but Erik was thirteen years old again and he didn’t know.

The dream made no sense, as his parents had died from a tropical disease, but then dreams are often like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early update because I know not the meaning of restraint. Next one will take a little longer, but let's hope I'll be posting once a week.  
> Thank you for reading, and again, don't hesitate to leave any thoughts on the comments!  
> Also don't judge me for my image editing skills, which I clearly don't have :P


	3. Chapter 2: To set a plan into motion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glossary:  
> Muyso = serpent  
> Criollo,a = Someone from Spanish descent born in the colonies

“Chaarles! Chaaaarles!!”

It was Raven, screaming from the entrance instead of going to the study to search for him like a normal person would. After all, anyone who knew him was aware that Charles spent almost all of his time there, partially buried by mountains and mountains of books that he had painstakingly collected over the years. 

So, even though Don Quixote was in the middle of saying his last words, Charles ignored his curiosity and closed the book, caressing it. It had been a while since Raven visited last, and the times she had it had been short and stilled. Hearing her call for him with so much enthusiasm was encouraging. Charles left the book in its place and slid out of the study, careful not to top any of the book piles he hadn't got to organize yet. Raven always mocked him, saying he was like one of those European dragons, but instead of hoarding gold, his treasure were his books, and that he spent all his time looking at them instead of going out and trying to live a story worth of putting into the written word. Of course she was right, but there was nothing Charles could do about it.

In the entrance of the cave, Raven was still screaming for him. 

“I’m here, I’m here! What is it Raven? Is there an emergency?” said Charles when he arrived.

“We’ll be having a visitor soon!” she said gleefully while passing him a leather pouch while drying herself. Inside there was probably a new book, and Charles, unable to contain himself, dried it with the clothes they had at the entrance and took the book out. 

“A new visitor, you say?” he said while reading the name of the book. 'The book of the courtier' by Baldassare Castiglione. It looked promising, and in Italian to boot. “Oh, that’s a surprise It’s only been a couple of years since dear Hank, who was our last visitor.”

“Yeah, but before him it was Alex, and that was years ago, when he was still little and cute.”

“Well, you should do your tricks and send them away. I don’t know, maybe to Peru.”

“Why should I? There’s never enough excitement in this life!” Raven protested. “As a matter of fact, I already sent them this way” she added in a low voice looking everywhere except at Charles. Charles was appalled.

“Raven! If the worst happens, their death will be on my hands and you know that! Why would you do something like this?”

He couldn’t believe that his little sister would send gladly someone to die. But then, he barely knew his sister anymore. She spent her life on the outside, using her gift to scam and impersonate other people.

“Stop being melodramatic, if they die it’s because they’re too greedy to listen and they deserve it.” Said Raven flippantly.

“That’s enough.”

Charles didn’t want to think on death anymore. He didn’t want to think on the many who had tried to steal only to succumb to the curse. He didn’t want to think that his once innocent sister now was so sanitized to death that she would purposefully put someone on its path. He couldn’t believe that Raven, having the freedom to do and be whatever she wanted in the world outside, she would waste it trying to lure people to their deaths.

“All right, stop being so morose, I’ll tell the boys to redirect them somewhere else. I just thought that you would want more friends, you know? I’m sure you’d like Moira. She's a nice person, an actually good person. She would listen to you, and her companion was so handsome! You should have seen him! A strong alpha, very elegant, but he listened to Moira and followed her lead.”

“Ok, ok, I get it," said Charles smiling. "Thank you, love, but it's better not to risk it.” 

Charles, relieved, stretched and kissed her in the forehead, her skin rough and scaly under his touch. It had taken so many years, but at least she had accepted her new body eventually. Unlike Charles.

He looked sullenly to his lower part of the body. Instead of two legs, he had the long tail of a something resembling a big serpent in their place. Thanks to it, he could breathe, mobilize swiftly and even talk underwater, but in the other hand, on firm ground he was slow and clumsy. In fact, it had taken him years to learn how to do it.

Charles still wondered every day if it wouldn’t have been better to just let the villagers find them all those years back, instead of making the pact with Muyso, the Serpent Goddess. Especially when he thought about Raven, forced to live who knows how many years, anchored to this place because of Charles, with the risk that if her true form is found, she would probably be treated as a demon or witch and burned in the stake. They both had heard enough stories of the stories of the Inquisition.

“You know what?” said Charles, “Why don’t you call the boys here? It’s been a while since we reunited all together. We can plan together what to do with our potential visitors.”

“That’s an excellent idea, oh great and wise dear brother of mine.” Raven said laughing. Charles joined her. It had been so long since they laughed together.

* * *

 

Raven left the lagoon in good spirits that afternoon, after having spent a surprisingly good time with her brother. Of course, he kept being the same old Charles, but Raven was already making Plans, and she was sure they were going to work this time. She just needed to recruit the cavalry. 

Hank, shy and sweet, would do anything for her as long as she kept the blonde, smiling Raven. Alex would be more difficult. He was so stubborn, and weirdly loyal to Charles, but at least Sean would just follow whatever the other two did, so of the three, the only one she had to convince was Alex.

Alex had come to them when he was only around six. He and his older brother Scott, who now had gone to England, were a couple of orphans. Their parents had been English missionaries who had died from a high fever shortly after they arrived to Santa Fe. The Spanish and criollos of the zone had rejected the orphans because of their religion and nationality. Alex having been only four years old and his brother no more than ten, there wasn't much they could do when they were robbed of their inheritance and thrown out to the streets. To survive, they became thieves, but luck wasn’t on their side. Only a year later, Scott lost his sight in an accident and Alex, desperate for money, began robbing ancient indigenous graves until one day he found out the location of the mythical El Dorado by chance.

Hank, on the other hand, was the son of an influential criollo. He had an incredible thirst for knowledge, to every question he had to look for an answer. So it wasn’t a surprise when he decided to discover the truth behind the legend. Of course, all his knowledge in science wasn’t very useful in explaining the actual truth.

Sean, however, was a grave robber, friend of Alex’s. They were as close as brothers, having met nine years ago, when they were both only ten years old. Alex hadn’t had many friends and it hadn’t been that much time since they first met when Alex was already presenting Sean to Charles, even though he had made the promise not to tell anyone about the lagoon. In his defense, he only broke the promise that one time. 

While she was mussing, Raven had kept climbing the mountain and was now at the top. She looked back. It was certainly a beautiful place. Of all the places to be stranded to, she was so glad it had been this. The sun was beginning to set, giving the air an orange hue and painting the clouds in pink. The lagoon was sparkling, the water a beautiful aquamarine color, like an emerald, emphasized by the mountains that surrounded it in every direction. It wasn’t big, but it certainly was impressive. In the distance the forest continued expanding. From the place you couldn't see it, but the royal road wasn't that far. They were lucky nobody really had any interest in a small lagoon like theirs.

Raven took a deep breath and smiled. It was time to set her plan into motion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I finally told my sister what it is that I wrote about, and she made us that drawing of the lagoon :D
> 
> The chapter is a bit shorter, but I hope you enjoy it!


	4. Chapter 3: Search and Find

_Shaw sipped from his glass and casually said, “So, little Max has finally made his move.” He signaled Emma to sit. “Tell me the details.”_

_“He contacted a Spanish guide, a beta woman called Moira. Luckily for us, she’s one of my contacts and if what I suspect about her is right, then she’ll do whatever I ask her to.”_

_“What you suspect about her? Explain yourself.”_

_“Rumor says she flew from Spain a decade ago because she was found to be having an affair with an alpha woman.”_

_Shaw smirked. “My, my, beta and alpha, both women? How dangerous. You are certainly a lucky girl, dear Emma. With your assets, that little beta had no option of resisting. Go and play nice with her until we find our mythical city.”_

_Emma nodded and looking sideways asked, “And what if there are still people living in that city as sometimes the legend suggests?”_

_“I wouldn’t worry about it. These people are like cavemen. And let’s be honest, the Spanish aren’t the brightest, and yet, even sending the worst of their lot, they managed to conquer the savages with mirrors!” Shaw laughed. “If a couple of trinkets aren’t enough for their gold, I’m sure taking them out of the picture wouldn’t be much difficult.”_

* * *

Erik and Moira stood quietly right in the edge of the precipice, while in front of them the falls, made a resounding noise. Erik was impressed by the sight, the falls were more than 150 meters high, dropping with a considerable volume. All around there were mountains that stopped abruptly, as if some giant had cut a piece, leaving spectacular vertical walls surrounding the falls. Everything was covered by a thick, vibrant vegetation.

“The legend says that Chibchacum, the main Muisca god, tired of the depravity of people, decided to send a great downpour that didn’t stop for days and days, until the savanna was completely flooded. Interesting, isn’t it? How many other civilizations have a similar legend?” Moira began explaining once they were further away and could hear each other again.

“And then what happened?” asked Erik.

“And then, their hero, Bochica, appeared, and using his magic staff he hit the earth, creating what you’re seeing before you, the Tequendama falls, so that the waters could drain” Moira finished telling the legend. 

“Let’s take a closer look at the dropping point and then we look for a way down.”

“I wouldn’t recommend getting too close. They say that a priest trying to purify this place fell to his death, and since that day if you get too close, you can feel as if someone is trying to pull you down. Many have fallen, never to be found again,” said a sweet, monotonous voice. Erik couldn’t believe he had forgotten Emma’s presence, and he was still wondering how was it that Moira agreed to take her with them. She couldn’t be more out of place, with her perfect nails and white outfit, in the middle of the wilderness. She also wore a golden bracelet in her left arm.

According to Moira, the golden bracelet, adorned in the center with an emerald, came from El Dorado. Emma also claimed that the bracelet had the power to kill anything, even what was already dead. Moira had explained that it was that bracelet existence that had convinced her that the magic of the indigenous was real, as she had seen the bracelet in action. Apparently, the night they had met, they had been attacked by some thugs, but instead of afraid, Emma had simply lifted her left arm, and a ray of light had struck the nearest alpha, and the alpha had fell where he stood, his heart no longer beating. Erik didn’t know what to think of the story. He knew Moira was being sincere, but he also knew that there were several ways of staging what is so often called “magic”. It made sense if Emma was a scammer trying to find El Dorado, the only problem being that back then Moira hadn’t been looking for the mythical city.

“Thank you for your concern, but I’m Jewish. If the ghost a catholic priest were here, he would have already tried to kill me,” Erik said tersely and watched carefully for the reaction of his two companions. Emma simply smirked and acted completely nonchalant. Moira, on the other hand, turned to look at him sharply and stared open mouthed for several seconds, before noticing Erik’s glare and turning. However, she didn’t make any comment. That reaction, he could believe; Emma’s though, wasn’t the usual. Who was exactly that woman?

She was supposedly a friend of Moira’s, and had somehow heard about their expedition. She had approached them the night before, demanding to be added their party, or she would let everyone know they were close to finding El Dorado. Moira said she trusted her, but she knew surprisingly little about the alpha woman. It made Erik feel paranoid, as if every single word was being studied by the enemy.

Ignoring Emma’s “warning”, Erik began walking towards the river. Of her story he could believe that whoever fell wouldn’t be found again. The drop was incredible and he couldn’t even see the bottom from here. He went back to where Emma and Moira were waiting.

“If the Muiscas were throwing their gold from here, no wonder the Spanish never managed to find anything. I doubt we’ll be able to do much even if we go down. With the force the waters are falling, it would be suicide trying to look for something.”

“We should try going down anyway. Maybe the river dragged some gold to the shallow parts. Or do you have a better idea, Mr. Lehnsherr?” suggested Emma.

“I agree. Let’s go diving.” For some reason, Moira seemed to be delighted with the idea.

In the end, it had been futile. There wasn’t any gold in the calmer waters, and when they tried to go closer, the turbulent waters, transformed into foam, rose amid the deafening racket with tearing force. It made advancing further an impossible task. Of course, by _they_ , he meant Moira and him, as Emma had primly remained ashore, no matter how much Moira had tried to convince her to help.

It took them 15 hours from Tequendama to reach their next destination, the town of Guatavita. They rode silently, the three of them disappointed by their failure at the falls. Although they would have a problem once they reached the town: they were searching for a lake, but they didn’t know exactly where it was.

Guatavita was a quite small town, with only one inn where all the town gathered to drink every evening, as Erik and his companions discovered the night they arrived. As they ate in the loud dining room, a couple of youngsters whose appearances contrasted greatly with the local population, were discussing in the table right next to them. One of them a beta, with ginger hair and pale, freckled skin. The other was a blonde alpha.

“You know that anyone who goes there doesn’t come back, you’ve heard the stories!” said the redhead. 

“Come on, Sean, we’ve been robbing cursed graves almost all of our lives, you can’t tell me now that you’re getting scared,” protested the blonde.

The ginger, Sean, wailed, “Man, this is different. I actually know someone who disappeared in that lagoon. I don’t want to be devoured by a snake!” 

As soon as he heard the words, Erik and Moira looked at each other, understanding in their regard. Moira got up and putting a silver coin in front of them said, “Tell me more of that place, boys, and I’ll give you another one of these.”

Thanks to the info the two grave robbers provided, the next day, first thing in the morning, Erik, Moira and Emma departed once again, Alex and Sean guiding them. The lagoon was only a couple of hours from the town, but mountains surrounded it, making its access difficult. Erik knew that without their guides, they would have probably missed it, or taken several days in finding it.

“Ok, even the color is eerie. I don’t know you, Alex, but I’m out of here,” said Sean. Alex looked dubiously between the lagoon and Erik’s party, but it the end he also followed Sean.

Erik looked at the lagoon, down in the little valley. Its color a greenish blue that reminded him of the emerald on Emma’s bracelet. 

Once in the shore of the lagoon, Erik removed his clothes, leaving only his underwear, preparing to dive.

“Aren’t you coming?” he asked, when he saw Moira hadn’t moved.

“I… Aren’t you afraid of the snake? Even if it’s not a myth but an actual snake? Sean said he knew someone who disappeared here…” Moira said hesitantly.

Erik ignored her and went into the waters.

“Wait, Lehnsherr!” called Moira. She had in her hands Emma’s bracelet. “In case anything happens, remember this can kill anything.”

Erik scoffed but took the bracelet, if anything only to calm Moira’s fears.

With that, he took a deep breath and immersed himself.

The waters were murky, making visibility difficult, but there was a lot of vegetation Erik used to propel himself towards the bottom more quickly. After a minute of going down, he finally reached it, and he couldn’t help letting out a bubble of air in his surprise. 

There it was, after all the suffering he had had to endure under Shaw, after everyone mocking his parents, and then him, for chasing legends. Right in front of his eyes there laid a pile of golden figures. He turned and saw more gold in the other direction. A feeling of euphoria crept upon Erik. Calculating that he would need to go up for more air soon, Erik picked a single piece as prove and began swimming upwards.

However, the closer he got to the surface the little piece in his hand grew heavier and heavier. He couldn’t believe a single object could weight so much. It was so burdensome, his progress soon began to slow down, until it was all he could do not to be dragged down again. The need to breathe was pressing, but he knew he could still hold it for a minute more. He kept kicking and waving his free arm with all his strength, his legs and arms cramping from the effort. But no matter how hard he tried, he could see how the light of the sun began drawing dimmer little by little. He couldn’t believe it, he was so near, there was no way he was leaving without prove of El Dorado’s existence. His lungs began burning and he began feeling a the throb of his heart in his head, but he was willing to endure whatever it took to take this piece to the surface.

Let go. You have to let it go. 

Was he hallucinating? He was hearing a soft, accented voice in his head. He ignored it and kept kicking.

You can’t. You’ll drown. You have to let go.

Suddenly, he felt a couple of arms embracing him from behind, trying to pry the golden piece from his fingers. He stiffed his posture and tried to get away.

I know this means a lot to you, but you’re going to die.

Erik felt something slippery passing through his legs, and suddenly feeling frustrated, he felt his fingers weaken and relax against his will and saw how the treasure he had been looking for all his life sank once again into the depths. The arms tightened around him and Erik began thrashing, involuntarily letting water into his lungs

Please Erik, calm your mind, the voice said. He relaxed and the… whatever it was, dragged him through the waters to a little cave. 

Erik coughed, expulsing the water and collapsed in the floor of the cave.

When he opened his eyes, he was still in the exactly same place. The first thing he noticed were a couple of cerulean orbs looking down at him. Why was someone down here?

“Are you ok?” the person said. It was the same voice he had heard in the waters. Erik sat hastily and saw that it was not a person. It was brown haired man from the waist up, but instead of legs, he had a serpent like green tail in which he was supporting himself.

Erik, still sitting, went backwards until he felt the cave’s wall hitting his back.

“What are you? How did you know my name?”

The… thing, pouted. Whatever it was, it was really young. If he aged similarly to humans, then he couldn’t be older than sixteen or so. It was that thought that made him relax the fist he had been reading to strike. The boy was pale, but not naturally so. It was the type of pale of someone who hasn’t seen the light of the sun in years. His eyes were a greenish blue, just like the color of the lagoon, and his lips were redder than those of women using rouge. Now that he was calmer, Erik could smell that he was an omega. His throat suddenly gone dry, Erik swallowed repeatedly. 

“My name is Chuhuca, but you can call me Charles,” he said with a sweet smile. “I live here, and the gold you were trying to steal belongs to Muyso, the Serpent Goddess of this lagoon.”

That was what Erik last heard before fainting. 


	5. Chapter 4: The curse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry I didn't post last week! I was busy with exams!
> 
> Glossary  
> Shedim: Hebrew word for demons or spirits

Charles couldn’t believe this was happening. This must be the alpha Raven and the boys were supposed to redirect somewhere to the south. What was he doing here? This all smelled like Raven’s meddling, goddamn it.

And then the man lost conscious and Charles began panicking. What if the man died? He backed away involuntary before his knowledge of medicine kicked in. The man was still breathing. Good. Charles slid back to his study and frantically searched for his little bottle of smelling salts. However, when he got back, the alpha was already awake and getting up. He froze as soon as he saw Charles and opened his eyes and mouth comically.

“It wasn’t a dream,” he said, passing a hand through his hair.

“Emmm, no. Let me explain everything again,” Charles began patiently, knowing it would be hard for the man to believe it, “My name is Charles, this is where I live. We’re underneath the sacred lagoon called Guatavita, which is home to the Serpent Goddess, Muyso. The gold here also belongs to her and there is a curse in it. Anything metal that goes in, cannot go out, you can drown trying to get it out, which, you almost did.”

“What happened to your legs?” there was a frenzied ring to the alpha’s voice, but nevertheless, Charles could see honest admiration in the way his eyes couldn’t stop running over Charles’ tail. At least it appeared this one wouldn’t try to exorcise or kill him. Still, Charles sighed. These people were supposed to be fierce ruffians who would do anything for gold, however, their first reaction was worrying about Charles’ tail.

“Muyso, the Serpent Goddess, decided it would be funny to replace them with a serpent’s tail, when I asked her to lift the spell she had put on me and my sister.”

“What?”

“Look, it’s a long story and you need to rest. Come on, I’ll guide you to your rooms.”

“Rooms?”

Charles sighed again. Maybe he had hit his head? He was sure Raven wouldn’t have gone through the trouble of doing whatever she did to convince the boys to help her over someone who couldn’t keep with Charles’ intellect.

“Yes, rooms, stand up slowly, you might have hit your head. Come on, let’s go, I’ll give you the whole tour later, yes, very good, now follow me.”

That night, Charles wasn’t surprised when everyone arrived. Raven and Sean were shamelessly beaming, Raven almost shaking with emotion, while Alex kept glancing guiltily at Charles and then back at the ground, nibbling his lips in worry. Hank on the other hand seemed completely unaware of what was happening.

“Raven!” Charles chided her. “I want you to know that your man almost drowned.”

“But he didn’t, did he?” she said flippantly.

“Well, no,” Charles was really upset that Raven had done that behind his back, but even he had to agree that the alpha was exquisite, “but he may have permanent brain damage!” Charles nevertheless protested.

“You like him, don’t you?” she grinned, changing forms from the blonde she frequently used to that of the alpha.

As always, her mimicry was perfect. Charles couldn’t help but stare at his perfectly cut figure. He looked even better with a black and bronze doublet and matching pants than in his drawers and undershirt as Charles had seen him.

Raven snickered. Sean whooped and Hank was already halfway to the study, searching for reading material. The only one to protest was Alex, “You are kidding. You can’t like that asshole!”

“Well, we didn’t have the opportunity to talk, as he _almost drowned_. Also, he was quite speechless with my appearance, or more probable, it was only that he might have hit his head and that’s why he couldn’t talk coherently.”

“Just so you know, he was with a couple of women when he came down to the lagoon. They think he drowned but the alpha convinced the beta not to go searching for him, so they just left, but they might come back,” informed Alex.

“Well, I hope you’ll fix the mess you’ve done,” Charles said to his sister. “Anyway, for now he’s resting in Sean’s room.”

As expected Sean protested, “Hey! Why does it have to be my room?” but nobody paid attention to it.

 

* * *

When Erik woke up, he was still in the room in the cavern under the lagoon, confirming once again that it was definitely not a dream. He still couldn’t believe he was in a place with half-serpent men, gods in plural and magical curses. Well, just because a creature could use magic and was apparently immortal it didn’t mean it was a god, but some people might mistake it as one, Erik reasoned.

He took a look around. He was in a small bedroom, the walls made from rock. The only sources of light were the lamp besides the bed and a very little hole up in the ceiling, which was also naturally made from rock. Just when he was about to get up, the door opened and the serpent-man entered. It may be weird of saying this of a half human person, but he was beautiful, even the serpent part. No, the serpent part contributed to his beauty.

“I hope you’re feeling better?” the man asked, coming closer. He had brought a bowl with some food and a jar of water. He left the things in the table, and serving it in a cup, he offered water to Erik. As close as they were his smell of omega was unmistakable. It was sweet with a bit of a bitter touch. Erik couldn’t help it, he behaved as the stereotypical rude alpha. He grabbed the man’s wrist, letting the cup fall to the floor spilling the water, and bringing it to his nose he took a deep breath. It was intoxicating, he wanted more.

When he finally came to his senses and realized what he was doing, Erik released the omega immediately.

“I’m truly sorry, I don’t know what came over me,” he apologized. The man had gone still and had opened his eyes wide. Erik was afraid he was going to run away, but surprisingly, the omega simply smiled sweetly and said, “It’s okay.” Erik could feel his face getting red.

After a couple of uncomfortable seconds, the man cleared his throat and spoke again,

“If you don’t mind, could you pick up the cup? I’m afraid bending down isn’t very easy for me. Or, to be exact, getting up is where the real problem is.”

“Oh, yes, of course.”

After eating and thanking the man for the meal, the man asked Erik, “So, what are you going to do now? If you promise not to tell anyone of this place I can show you the exit.”

“How may I call you?” Weird. That wasn’t what Erik had been intending to say, but apparently his brain had decided otherwise.

The man chuckled, “My name is Charles, and this is the third time I tell you so. You, on the other hand, still haven’t told me anything about yourself.”

“Right, sorry, I had forgotten. Charles.” the name sounded like a precious jewel. Erik repeated it several times in his head, even though he couldn’t give it the exact foreign intonation the man had said it with. “I’m Erik Lehnsherr. I… you… you are beautiful” Erik finally blurted. Seriously, what was wrong with his mouth today?

The man, no, Charles, went completely red. He looked adorable.

“So, what do you plan on doing, now that you know that what you call El Dorado exists but you can’t take it away?” Charles said, ignoring Erik’s earlier statement.

And just with those two words, El Dorado, Erik came back to reality. He wasn’t here to compliment strange creatures, he was here to clear his parents’ name, and for that he needed to show the world that El Dorado existed, curse or not curse notwithstanding.

“What was that about the curse and the serpent?”

“Muyso, the Serpent Goddess. This is her lagoon, her domain. She likes shiny things, so everything metal that goes in, never comes out.”

“Tell me more about her magic, how it works.”

“Why do you want to know? What are you planning on doing?” Charles regarded him with narrowed eyes, full of suspicion.

“I need to prove to everyone that El Dorado exists, for that, apparently I must break the curse.”

Charles froze and stared at Erik with his mouth and eyes wide open. He crossed his arms and in a high pitch said, “You can’t do that!” he slid away with some difficulty and wrapped his arms around himself while shaking his head.

“You can’t do that,” he repeated, almost whispering. “The only way to remove the curse is by convincing Muyso, and believe me that is impossible, I tried before and this is the result.” Charles said, signaling the lower part of his body.

Charles then proceeded to remove a golden chain he had around his neck.

“Here, wear this and promise you won’t tell anyone about this place. This has a charm imbued with magic which will make you keep your promise. Once you do that, I’ll show you the way out.”

“I’m sorry, but I refuse to do so.”

“You have no other option.”

“I will bring prove of this place existence to everyone out there.” Erik insisted stubbornly.

“Then you’ll spend the rest of your life trapped here!” and with those words, Charles left the room in a huff.

Erik laid down in the bed again and sighed. It appeared that he was a sort of prisoner for now, but he would find the way to escape. He looked at the golden medallion Charles had left in the table. It had an intricate design and an emerald in the center. It reminded him a lot of the bracelet Emma had claimed to be magical.

Oh.

Now Erik had a plan, the only thing he needed was to get out of this cavern and El Dorado would be his.

 

* * *

Raven heard Charles raising his voice and knew that it hadn’t gone well. Good. She knew the alpha was stubborn, there’s no way he was going to give up when he had finally found the treasure. She hid until Charles left clearly upset, and then she entered the room.

The alpha was reclining in the bed, examining the binding stone in Charles’ necklace, grinning exactly like one of the sharks Raven had seen in the trip she did to the sea once. As soon as she entered, he swiveled to look at her, leaving the talisman in the table.

For Raven, it was funny and frustrating at the same time when she revealed herself in her true form before someone. Well, not exactly her true form, but the older version of it, she wasn’t going to show she was a little 12 year-old girl. Ignoring that little detail, when she showed herself blue and scaly, she liked to bet with herself which reaction she would cause. The most common by far was fear, followed by either attacking her (not so funny) or running away (quite funny, especially when they tripped). Then there were those who simply froze, or started praying, he even had once made a pretty omega faint. Of course, that was usually with people who hadn’t met her brother. Her sweet brother who had no idea she sometimes revealed herself in front of people only to add some emotion to her life.

So, this _Erik Lehnsherr_ had not only not attacked Charles, but managed to have a decent conversation with him, even though in the end he had refused to leave and maintain the secret. Then, he’d probably wouldn’t react with fear.

She was right in that aspect. Lehnsherr simply stared at her for a second before lifting his eyebrows and saying, “So, I take you’re the little sister Charles mentioned.” Lehnsherr _was_ good.

“What, no screaming or crucifixes?” asked Raven with a devilish smile.

“I’m Jewish. And even if you were a shedim or some kind of weird golem so far I've got no reason to attack you.”

“Not bad.” Raven smirked. “I have a proposition for you.”

Raven sat in the chair in front of Erik and began, “I take it that you want to leave without swearing secrecy to the binding stone. And, I suppose you want to take the precious gold as well. I can show you the exit and tell you how to do the latter.”

“I’m listening, what do you want in exchange?”

“Well, for one thing, when you break the curse, you also free us. I don’t know if my brother told you, but we’ve been living for more than two centuries. I’m more than ready to grow old. But, and there is a big but, before I tell you my part, you need to accomplish something. You see, Charles is deadly afraid of going out. Something terrible happened many, many years ago, though I don’t know the details. The fact is, he got attacked because of his appearance and a dear friend of his died. Since then, he hasn’t stepped outside of this cave. I bet that even if the curse breaks, he wouldn’t be able to leave. I’ve tried everything but it has been in vain.” Raven paused and took a deep breath. “I believe however, that someone like you would be able to convince him otherwise. If you manage to do it, to persuade Charles to step outside just for a second, I’ll tell you how to break the curse. As for the exit, if you convince Charles to go out, he’ll tell you himself.”

Erik mulled over it for a moment, before nodding his acceptance.

“Very well,” he said, “but if I happen to find that way out before, I won’t be staying to help.”

Raven simply grinned and left the room. What Lehshenrr didn’t expect is that Charles himself was like another curse. Eventually, everyone wants to help him. She was sure that after a couple of days together, Lehnsherr would not be an exception.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, my sister did the drawing :)


	6. Chapter 5: Books and Chess

 

They were in the study, the boys helping him to clean and catalogue all of Charles’ books in their respective shelves. The study was where Charles spent most of his days lately. And by lately he meant the last century or so. It was a place of comfort, filled with the smell of books and earth. It didn’t have any opening to the outside, so the only light source were the oil lamps, which meant it was always dim and there was no way to determine whether it was day or night. In other words, it was the perfect place to lose yourself to the magical worlds inside the books, to dream without interruptions, forgetting there was a world outside.

“So then, he’s going to stay here indefinitely?” asked Sean, bringing Charles back to the present.

Charles sighed. He felt guilty for forcing Erik to stay, but he couldn’t risk this place being discovered. Of course, Erik didn’t understand that. As many before, he was obsessed with El Dorado. Charles couldn’t understand why Raven had let him come. Even if he was a very handsome alpha, who apparently was also interested in Charles, the risk was just too high for only getting laid, and Charles certainly didn’t want to force Erik to spend the rest of his life here. He would have to let him go sooner or later.

“Yes, for the time being,” Charles answered. “Thank you for checking in, but you guys should go back to your lives.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to leave you alone with that alpha.” That was Alex, who for some reason had become extremely overprotective these past years.

“I hate to say it, but I think Alex is right. We don’t know what that alpha would be capable of,” added Hank.

“Yeah, man, it’s not as we had any pressing matters outside, and I don’t mind bunking with Alex here,” said Sean, crossing an arm over Alex’s shoulder while Alex scowled.

Truth was, Charles was sure Erik wouldn’t harm him and he certainly wanted to spend some time getting acquainted with him without interruptions, but nevertheless, the offer made him feel warm inside. Getting friends in Charles situation was terribly hard, and even though the boys were more like his kids, Charles felt immensely grateful that he knew he could count on them.

“Thank you, but I’m sure,” said Charles with finality.

That same night, after checking Erik was fast asleep in his room, Raven and the boys went back to the surface. Before leaving, Raven sent a wink and a knowing look, “I hope you enjoy yourself!” were her parting words.

Early next morning, Charles couldn’t help himself, and full of curiosity entered the room Erik was resting in. He tried to slide as silently as possible and holding his breath he peeked around the bed to take a look of Erik’s face, except Erik’s eyes opened suddenly, looking directly at Charles.

“What are you doing?” he asked, obviously irritated.

Charles didn’t have a proper answer. He couldn’t say ‘I was curious to see how you looked while asleep,’ could he?

“Emmm… Good morning!” said Charles with fake enthusiasm. “Breakfast is almost ready!” even though it was a lie. Charles himself had just woken up. He as hastily as possible slid out of Erik’s room, closing the door with a loud bang. His heart was beating as fast as if he had spent three hours swimming in the lagoon.

A while later, when Charles was baking the bread, Erik entered the kitchen. He looked even more delectable, with his hair mussed from sleeping and for once he seemed completely relaxed.

“Am I going to meet that sister of yours?” asked Erik.

Charles felt a pang somewhere in his chest. Was Erik only interested in women? No, it couldn’t be. He was sure yesterday that there was something there. Did the attraction fade in only one night?

“No,” Charles answered, “we’re alone.”

To his relieve, Erik grinned, showing all his teeth, and walked up to where Charles was kneading the dough.

“Let me help,” his voice still rough from sleep. He moved Charles’ hands and began working, his arms flexing in an entirely distracting manner. The movement of his broad shoulders only served to highlight the narrow waist Erik had.

Once finished, they ate in silence. It was a modest breakfast, composed by gravy and bread, with some of the cheese Hank had brought yesterday, and some dried fruit.

After Erik had helped Charles in cleaning he asked, “What do you usually do down here?”

“I read. I have tons of books to read. Science and philosophy, even theology, though I don’t share Christian beliefs, and of course, some literature. I have books from everywhere, and my friends often get me more. They know I love to read.”

“It still sounds very lonely”

It was true, but Charles preferred not to think on the negative, or he would become overwhelmed.

“Don’t be dramatic. Come on, I’ll give you the tour of my study, you’ll see it’s amazing.”

The study was the biggest room of the cave. It not only was filled with books to the brim, it also had a part dedicated to Charles’ experiments and even a little garden, although the plants there produced no food as apparently it was close to impossible for those to live without sun. He explained to Erik his experiments with chemistry, and showed him the machines and contraptions Hank had been working on lately. He even had one that might allow a human to fly, but as it was untested, they couldn’t be sure.

“Why don’t we go and test it? I can be the one to do it if you’re afraid of falling” Erik offered. But with those words, Charles was immediately filled with dread. He could feel his breath shortening and a sheen of sweat in his forehead.

“Charles, are you alright?” Erik’s voice sounded far away and distorted, as if he were speaking through water. He felt weak and darkness began to envelop everything.

“Try to imitate my breathing. In and out.”

Erik put one of Charles’ hands on his chest. Charles could feel Erik’s pulse going erratic, but his breathing was calm. In and out. Soon enough, Charles was back to normal.

“I’m sorry” said Charles.

“Don’t;” said Erik, embracing Charles gently. He felt safe, not only because of the warm arms wrapped around him but also because of the placid smell Erik was giving off.

A minute or an hour could have passed, but Charles took no note. Eventually, they had to separate, and at least, Erik seemed as reluctant as Charles felt. With his hand lingering on Charles’ arm he asked again, “are you alright?”

“Yes, thanks to you.”

“What was that about?”

“I… I can’t go out. It’s dangerous with me looking as I do.”

“There’s no one out there, the lagoon is pretty secluded. No one will see you.”

“You don’t know that!” Charles screamed, beginning to panic all over again.

“Ok, I’m sorry, I just want to help, I’m sorry.”

Erik seemed contrite in his apology, and seeing that powerful, proud and plainly stubborn alpha almost kneel in front of Charles in order to calm him down, made Charles realize how much he was overreacting. He took several deep breaths, closing his eyes and forgetting about the world outside. Once he felt in control again, he smiled and shook his head.

“It’s not your fault. I can’t simply go out.”

They continued the tour of the study, but now there was an uncomfortable silence between them, until Erik’s eyes stopped on the chess board and asked, “Do you play?”

“Mostly against myself, occasionally against my friend Hank”

“Do you care for a game?”

They played for hours. Erik was an excellent player, and though Charles did not have much practice, he had read a lot about the game and soon was at the same level. They talked about anything and nothing. Erik told Charles about growing up in Prussia, how his family was always the target of hatred because of their religion, but nevertheless, his loving parents always managed to give little Erik a sense of safety and home. In turn, Charles told him how it had been to grow in privilege but knowing that your main function was to bear an heir, and how his father’s early death had caused him to marry a complete brute of an alpha.

“Why is it that you are so determined to prove El Dorado exist?” asked Charles, while Erik set up the board for the next game, after a draw where Charles had almost managed to win.

“My parents died trying to prove it was real. They were the laughingstock of the archaeologist community. They are still mocked, even though they died more than fifteen years ago.”

“I’m sorry,” was the only thing Charles could say. He now felt even more guilty for not allowing Erik to leave, but his and Raven’s security came first.

Finally, after a really tough game, Charles managed to win. Pumping his fist in the air and whooping, Charles yelled, “I won!” all while giggling uncontrollably. When he finally stopped, he realized Erik was openly staring at him, his mouth no longer in its perpetual frown, but actually smiling.

Charles, feeling his face go warm in embarrassment, started hastily to organize the board for another game, but Erik stopped him, taking Charles’ hands gently in his.

“There is no need to rush, we can take all the time we want,” he said, still looking at his eyes. One of his hands slid slowly through Charles’ arm, going all the way up until he was cupping the nape of his neck, playing with his hairs there. Charles shivered, but not from cold. Erik’s eyes were bright and dark, his face going closer and closer. In the meanwhile, his other hand began traveling downwards until it stopped in Charles’ waist.

“Can I touch here?” whispered Erik, pointing to where Charles’ human form ended, and the scaly skin started.

Oh, how much Charles wanted to be touched, anywhere, everywhere, but his tongue felt heavy on his mouth and unable to form words, he simply nodded.

Erik’s hand in his bare skin was hot and callused, and Charles couldn’t help but release a small whimper. Gradually, Erik’s hand kept going lower, touching the scales along his sides.

Charles was breathing heavily, and it was all he could do to refrain himself from unsheathing or something similarly embarrassing. They needed to talk before going further. Luckily, or rather unluckily in his perspective, in his distraction, Charles’ end of the tail bumped against one of the piles of books, causing it to topple and startling them both. Erik rapidly put some space between them and Charles had to stifle his disappointment.

Without a word, Erik crouched down and began to organize the books. Really, Charles could spend a whole afternoon only looking at how Erik’s muscles moved. Charles let his gaze go a little bit lower, and biting his lips, he enjoyed the show when Erik bent down to pick the next batch of books.

Clearing his throat, once he finished, Erik said, “I think it is getting late. See you tomorrow, Charles, have a good night,” and left the study.

Charles, still trying to control his breath, sighed and smiled. Now, that he was more than sure the interest was mutual, it was only a matter of time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't hesitate to leave your honest thoughts, and thank you for reading!


	7. Present and Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was co-written with my sister! I thought it would be embarrassing, but was quite fun.
> 
> Warning at the end

As soon as Erik left, Charles collapsed back in the chair. What was that strange feeling in his chest? It felt too close to desperation, desperation and elation fighting each other inside him.

Charles wasn’t without experience, but it had been way too long since the last time. His first had been Comba, back when he had been fully human. It had been full of the thrill of secrecy and the hope of change, but Charles preferred not to ever think on how it all ended. Then, after he was transformed, there had been Logan, before the Spanish came to this land, and years later, Armando. Logan had ben brash and rough, a complete opposite from Comba, but that only made their time together even more interesting and passionate. Armando on the other hand had been casual, the mutual understanding that it was just between friends.

Charles tried to calm himself, but all he could think was on Erik. Erik putting back a book on the shelf, his muscles shifting, broadcasting the potentiality of strength that they held, Erik’s smile when they played chess, his eyes soft as he watched Charles ramble in his genetic theories, Erik passing his hand through his hair, lowering slowly to his neck, then his chest. He could picture what could happen next perfectly in his mind, Erik shirtless, his hand playing lazily with his nipple, only to keep going down and stopping right at the waist band of his trousers, his little finger playing with the edge.

With Erik, though, it wasn’t only friendship like with Armando, nor only sexual tension, like with Logan. It was a mix of both, but also something else. Charles wanted to _know_ him. What Erik enjoyed reading, how his life had been before coming here, what type of foods he liked, what were his happiest memories and what his hardest moments. Erik in the morning, just woken up, Erik after indulging in too many spirits, Erik talking about a subject that made him passionate, Erik, everything about Erik. Even now, when he just had seen him, he still felt the pull of never wanting to separate.

Charles was obsessed. Touching and watching would not be enough. A kiss would probably not be enough, but he had to quench this need somehow. How would a kiss feel? His imagination immediately filled the blank. Rough lips against his, biting his upper lip, his own tongue teasing Erik’s mouth open. The need to know was suffocating him.

Charles stood up, determined. He had to satisfy his curiosity, needed to know why Erik was so special. Slamming his tail against the floor, Charles slid quickly towards Erik’s chambers.

* * *

 

Erik was taking his shirt off, when a noise startled him. He looked up in time to see the door opening and closing swiftly. Charles entered and leaned back against it. He was breathing fast and sweating.

At first, Erik thought he was having another panic attack, but when, full of concern he run to his side, Charles instead grabbed him and pulling his head down he kissed him, his lips warm against Erik’s. It took only a second for Erik to recover from his surprise and reciprocate, enveloping Charles in a strong embrace.

He felt loose, as if he finally was allowed to breathe again, a pleasant sensation filling him from the inside. With one arm in Charles’ neck and the other around his back, he tightened the embrace, closing the scant few centimeters between them and letting their chests touch. Charles had his eyes closed, but he also brought Erik even closer. Erik opened his mouth and Charles answered equally, harmonizing their movements and going from a sweet chaste kiss, to a breathtaking, desperate and passionate one. When their tongues touched, the world around disappeared.

Charles’ smell became even more intoxicating. It made Erik’s mouth go dry with want and he could feel a funny sensation in his stomach, as if he were falling, and his cock start to harden.

Charles was emitting little moans out of his mouth.

“More, Erik, I need more,” he cried, but Erik ignored him and continued kissing his neck, biting it and then soothing with his tongue.

Slowly, Erik guided Charles to the bed and while gently being lowered, Charles began to take Erik’s pants off with his tail. Erik stretched Charles’ shirt, still kissing him and going down, his Adam’s apple, his collarbones. He began opening his shirt, leaving a wet trail that lead to his nipples where he focused a few moments before continuing down Charles’ torso.

One of Erik’s hands was on Charles’ neck, while the other was going up and down Charles’ snake body, feeling the intricate scales, while Charles moaned with every single kiss Erik was leaving through his body.

When Erik’s hand, that had been going down from Charles’ neck reached his lower back, Erik could feel that something was wrong. The skin there was neither smooth skin nor scaled like his tale. It was instead scarred. He felt Charles tense as soon as he touched it, and looking at Charles’ eyes, he was about to ask, but Charles simply shook his head, and Erik let it go.

Erik felt Charles tail slithering up his legs, a sensation that made him shiver and grow even harder. The tip of the tail, stopped in the hem of Erik’s smallclothes and once Erik nodded his permission, it went inside and wrapped around his cock. Erik gasped and slightly bit the side of Charles’ torso. With a swift movement, Charles released Erik and took off his underwear.

Erik saw how Charles’ eyes widened when he watched Erik’s size and Erik smirked. Charles licked his red lips and made a move as if to go down on Erik, but Erik stopped him, putting a hand around his neck. Charles put his hand over Erik’s and tightened it a little. Receiving the message, Erik put more pressure, feeling Charles’ pulse go even faster.

With his other hand he finally rid Charles of his shirt and let his eyes rove over Charles’ skin, letting his hands follow the path of his eyes. Charles grabbed one of Erik’s hands and, biting his lower lip, he guided it to his back and then down past the scarred skin, down past the limit of the scales, until he found a little wet hole. Erik touched around it and felt how it expanded a bit.

Erik then braced his arms against the bed, but Charles enwrapped Erik’s torso with his tail, and with surprising ease he lifted Erik and turned him until Charles was the one on top. Still kissing Erik, Charles grabbed his dick and began to slide his hand up and down, while he played with Erik’s balls with the other hand. Erik closed his eyes and moaned, clenching his fists in the sheets.

Erik began feeling with his hands until he found Charles’ hole. It was quite wet and had expanded more. Erik was already leaking and knowing he wouldn’t last that long, he stopped Charles’ movements.

Erik had desired Charles since the first time he saw him, a lust mixed with curiosity for putting his dick inside this half human, half snake, but mostly because Erik had never felt this much attraction towards an omega.

Erik couldn’t wait any longer. He grabbed Charles and turning him, he pushed Charles’ face against the bed with a hand on the back of his neck.

“Please,” Charles whispered.

Erik began to play with the tip of his dick, making circles around Charles’ hole. He could tell by Charles’ reactions and moans that he was enjoying it too. Slowly, Erik let the head of his cock go inside Charles, groaning and grabbing strongly Charles’ hips. Charles was wet and tight. It felt so good.

“Go deeper,” said Charles. Erik obeyed, going completely inside Charles.

“You’re so deep,” Charles murmured. “Move, please move.”

“If I move too fast I might come,” said Erik, the strain apparent in his voice.

“I don’t care. Cum inside me, I want to feel you inside me.”

This was music to Erik’s ears, so he obeyed and started moving his hips against Charles’ body. 

“Faster, faster,” panted Charles.

Erik obeyed and began fucking Charles without restraint, the sound of his balls clapping against Charles’ body filling the room along with Erik’s moans and Charles panting. Erik got closer to Charles, letting his chest against Charles’ back. Charles screamed as he came, clutching Erik and tipping him over, his world going blank, and collapsing against Charles.

Erik took out his cock and lied down besides Charles. They kissed languidly again once they recovered their breaths.

They lay afterwards, Charles wrapped against Erik, his arms around his torso, his tail against his legs. Erik thought Charles had fallen asleep until he heard him say, in a small voice, “I’m sorry.”

Erik’s eyes snapped open. That was definitely not something he wanted to hear after the best sex he had had.

“What?” he exclaimed.

“I mean, about before, in the library.”

Erik had no idea what Charles was talking about, and his silence must have been telling, because Charles continued, “When I freaked out because you mentioned going out.”

Erik didn’t know what to do. He needed to know why Charles had panicked, so that he could find a way to help him and then, and then what? Leave this place? Leave Charles? He had to clear his parent’s name, though, and for that had would have to leave Charles, but he didn’t want Charles to think he was doing all this because he wanted a way out. This _thing_ between Charles and him, it had nothing to do with Raven’s pact, and he didn’t want Charles to think so, once Erik left. And why did he care? He was leaving anyway.

“I already told you, you don’t have to apologize,” Erik finally answered.

“I know that, but… Erik,” Charles lifted himself and looked at Erik in his eyes, and as if reading Erik’s mind, he said, “I like you. Really like you, and would like to get you to know better. I don’t want you to reciprocate only because you don’t have an option, but, if you also feel like I do, I would also like for you to know me better.”

“I don’t,” Erik answered quickly, and saw how Charles’ face fell. “I mean, I don’t feel obliged. I also like you a lot. More than I should, and if you wish, I also want to know everything about you.”

Charles smiled and kissed him sweetly before leaning back on Erik, his left hand petting Erik’s chest. He hummed and after a few moments began, “It was fifty years or so ago. I know you haven’t met Raven yet,” and Erik swallowed nervously at that, “but she’s quite fierce and our personalities often clash. At that time, we weren’t talking with each other, so I was alone when it happened.

“A young man by the name of Armando found this cave when trying to hide from the Spanish. You see, he had been slaved and had escaped. He found refuge here and we quickly became good friends.

“Back then I lived outside. I even had a little cabin in the shore and only came down every now and then. I didn’t dare to leave the place, though; even if I somehow managed to mask the tail, my people were being slaved or killed.

“Armando and I lived three months in our little bubble, but then, five men found the place. They were lost and somehow stumbled here. I hid in the cabin while Armando guided them back, saying his master and owner of the cabin wasn’t home. We thought we had managed to avoid detection and soon forgot about the incident. Except that a week later, a group of about twenty soldiers came to the lagoon. They knocked down the door and entered expecting to find an escaped slave, but they also found me. When they saw that I had a tail instead of legs they accused Armando of witchcraft.

“They took Armando to be tried. As for me, they burned my cabin and prepared a pyre to burn me right then and there. It wasn’t until they had already lit the fire that Muyso appeared. You see, we made a pact, and part of the pact is that she will protect my life. She drowned all the soldiers and took me back to the cave.

“I don’t know what was Armando’s fate. I fear the worst, but I hope he managed to escape once again, though you might think I’m being naïve.

“That’s the story. The scar on my back is the only physical evidence of what happened, but thinking about going out fills me with sheer terror. Even if Muyso protects me, others will pay for my appearance.”

Charles had been telling the story in a calm voice, all while tears streamed down his face. Unable to do anything, Erik embraced him and kissed his forehead.

“I won’t let anything like that happen ever again,” vowed Erik.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Charles narrates how Darwin probably died


End file.
